Coin selector



Jan. 22, 1952 DQNQHUE 2,583,258

COIN SELECTOR Filed July 19, 1949 V 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Russsu. J. DONOHUE ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1952 R. J. DONQHUE 2,583,258

COIN SELECTOR Filed July 19, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 zsrumy INVENTOR. RUSSELL J. DONOHUE ATfo /vsY Jan. 22, 1952 R. J. DONOHUE 2,583,258

, com SELECTOR Filed July 19, 1949 5 Shees-Sheet s JNVENTOR. RUSSELL J. DONOHUE.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN SELECTOR Russell J. Donohue, Cambridge, Ohio Application July 19, 1949, Serial No. 105,605

3 Claims.

My invention relates to coin selectors and has particular reference to apparatus of this character wherein a movable gate is employed, as illustrated in Patent 2,292,628.

In Patent 2,292,628, when a rejected coin is introduced into the apparatus, the operator must first manually operate the apparatus to clear the same and eject or return the rejected coin, if any, prior to the insertion of the accepted coin. The clearing is effected by manually operating a lever or scavenger which sweeps the rejected coin from proximity to the magnet if held there: by, and also shifts the gate to the open position whereby the pusher will insure the return of the rejected coin if it is held by the coin testing means. The disadvantage of this construction is that it places upon the operator the necessity of manually operating the apparatus to clear the same for the return of rejected coins.

In accordance with my invention, the gate is biased open instead of biased closed as is shown in Patent 2,292,628. In operating my selector apparatus, when the coin is inserted into the slot, a coin actuated switch is closed. The closing of this switch causes a circuit to be closed and time controlled means is provided to maintain the circuit closed for a selected period and then automatically open the same. When the circuit is closed, electrically operated means is energized which shifts the gate to the closed position and the gate will remain in the closed position for a sufiicient length of time to permit of the passage through the apparatus of the accepted coin. However, the rejected coin will not pass through the apparatus within this selected period, and since the gate is biased open, at the end of this period the gate moves to the open position and hence the coin is returned to the operator. The electrical means which shifts the gate to the closed position is an electromagnet or electromagnets and also serves to test the coin and hold rejected coins.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gate and associated elements included in the coin selector,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 22 of Figure 1, showing the gate in the open position,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the gate in the closed position,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the gate and guide plate, viewed from the opposite side from that shown in Figure 1, parts broken away,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuits included in the apparatus,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the coin actuated switch, and,

Figure '7 is a central vertical section through a time controlled device.

The coin selector comprises a main plate It which is vertical and has flanges ll. Arranged upon the inner face of the main plate It] and spaced therefrom for a suitable distance to accommodate the coins of the maximum thickness is a guide plate l2, having knuckles l3 hinged upon a pin It, engaging knuckles l5, carried by one flange II. The guide plate l2 when in the inner position is parallel with the main plate It, and is retained spaced from the main plate by a lug I E engaging an extension I! of the guide plate. The guide plate has notches t8 and I9 formed therein.

The device further comprises a gate 20, having arms 2 l, hinged upon the vertical pin It to swing horizontally. This gate carries an upper inclined coin track 22 and a lower inclined coin track 23, which project laterally beyond the inner face of the gate. The coin track 22 extends through the notch l8 and the coin tract 2-3 enters the notch 19.

The gate carries an upper device for testing coins for size and weight, such as quarters, and this device includes a cradle 24, arranged upon the outer face of the gate and pivoted at 25. This cradle has a weight 28. The cradle has laterally projecting fingers 2'! and 28, operating within slots 29 and 32 respectively. The gate carries a lower device for testing smaller coins for diameter and weight, such as nickels. This device includes a vertically swinging arm 3| piv oted to the gate at 32 and this arm has a weight 33. The arm 3! is provided at its upper end with a laterally projecting finger 84 extending beyond the inner face of the gate and arranged opposite to an upstanding flange or track 35. The upper end of the arm 3| is arranged to engage a horizontal crank formed upon a vertical wire or rod 35 mounted upon the gate to turn upon its longitudinal axis, and this rod is provided at its lower end with a crank 3'! having an extension 37 at a right angle thereto and projecting into the path of travel of the coin passing between the extension (is and the track 35. The shaft 36 is biased so that the extension 31 normally projects into the path of travel of the coin, and this is accomplished by having the crank at the upper end of the rod 36 engaged by a vertically swinging lever 38, which is weighted at its lower end.

into the slot 32, while the finger 46 is adapted.

to project into a slot 32'.

The coin selector device thus far described is,

substantially the same as that shown in Patent 2,292,628 issued to B. W. Fry, August 11, 1942a In accordance with the present invention, the

gate is biased open and for this purpose the free end of the gate engages a spring .45, having its upper end fixedly attached to the main plate It.

An electromagnet 46 ismounted upon the main plate 10 to act upon the quarters passing down the track '22 and an opposed armature 4? is mounted upon the guide plate i2.- A lower electromagnet 48 is mounted upon the main plate IE! and has poles 43 and an opposed electromagnet 49 is mounted upon the gate 26 and has poles'49' and the opposed magnets t8 and 49 'act upon the nickels travelling down the track. The poles 48 are movable into and out of openings 56' formed in the plate 2. The adjacent poles of the electromagnets 48 and 9 are of opposite polarity and these magnets therefore attract each other and when energized the electromagnet 29 swings the gate to the inner position but-when the electromagnets are de-energized the spring 5 swings the gate to the open position.

A 'coin chute 53a leads from a coin slot 50 formed in a plate 5i and delivers the coin to a Vertical passage 5i which directs the coin to the cradle 24. A vertically swinging. lever 52 is pivotally mounted upon a fixed pivot 53 secured to the plate 5!, and. has apertured knuckles 54',

pivotally receiving an upstanding arm 55 to turn' upon its longitudinal axis. The arm 55 .carries a .coin engaging head 56 which extends over tf e upper portion of the coin slot, and the head 56 is biased downwardly by a spring 51.. The head 56 is. vertically adjustable to accommodate coins of different diameters and when the coin is inserted into the slot 50 the head is elevated and is also. swung laterally about the axis of the arm 55.,

When the head 56 is shifted laterally, 'it engages an insulating strip 56' carried bya contact leaf spring El to engage and disengage a leaf spring 59,.mounted upon an insulating block 53, secured to the plate 5|". The leaf springs 5! and '59 constitute a switch which is biased open:

The numeral E3 designates .a solenoid winding included in a timing device for controlling the closing of a switch which is biased closed; This time device includes a core 6! slidable in a casing 62 and having a substantially air tight fit therein. The casing 62 has a contracted port" 63 and an adjustable screw Bate partly cover the port. The core 6! moves down by gravity and the winding is held stationary. When the core 3! descends it engages an insulating strip 65,mounted upon a leaf spring contact 66, which is biased closed to engage an upper leaf spring contact 61,. both' leaf springs being carried by a stationary insulating block 68.

The numerals i9 and "i9 designate lead wires.

lead wire 69, and is connected with the leaf spring 65, and a wire 13 is connected with the leaf spring 6-1. The wire 13 has the electromagnets 46, 48 and 49 connected in series therein and the wire 13 is connected with the lead wire 10.

The operation of the coin selector apparatus is as follows: The coin control switch is normally open and. the solenoid winding 60 accordingly deenergized so: that the core 6| holdsthe contact leaf spring 66 in the lowered opened position and the circuit including the electromagnets is open at the contact leaf springs 66 and 61. The spring now holds the gate in the open position. With the parts .thusadjusted, if an accepted coin, such as a quarter, is inserted into the slot 50, the contact. leaf springs 51 and 59 will engage and a circuit will be closed which energizes the solenoid winding 60, and the core BI is quickly elevated. The contact leaf spring 66 now moves up and. engages contact leaf spring 61 and a circuit is closed including the electromagnets; When the coin is introduced into the slot 50, the

coin control switch is instantly closed and the switch including leaf springs 66 and 61 quickly close.

When the coin leaves the slot it enters the coin chute 50a and then passes into the ver-- The coin actuated switch opens The electromagnets' circuit is therefore closed and will remain closed for a selected period, which is determined by the time required for the core 6| to descend to the lowermost position. When the electromagnet circuit is closed, the gate is swung to the inner position, which occurs before'the coin reaches-the passage 5!, and the gate is held in the closed po-' sition a'suificient length of time to permit the accepted coin, such as a quarter, to pass through the apparatus. The cradle 24 tests'the coin for diameter and weight.

Assuming that a fiber disc were inserted into the apparatus instead of an accepted quarter, then the fiber disc or rejected coin would be held within the apparatus by the cradle 24, and at the end of the period for holding the gate closed, the gate would automatical Assuming that the rejected coin had period for which the gate was held closed, the

. gate would then automatically open and the re-.

In a.

jected iron coin return to the operator.

similar .manner, an accepted coin, such as a' nickel,.may pass through the apparatus during,

the period that the gate is held closed, but. if a rejected coin having the diameter of a nickel is.

inserted into the apparatus, it will be tested for weight and material, and if rejected it will be held in the apparatus when the gate opens it will be returned to the operator. of the testing devices is fully described in said Patent 2,292,628 and no further explanation is thought necessary. This patent also presents The operation additional tests which do not involve the opening or closing of the gate. invention as applied to a selector apparatus of While I have shown my the character shown in Patent 2,292,628, yet it is not necessarily restricted to the precise coin testing devices shown therein, as I contemplate em-' bodying my invention in a coin selector having a swinging gate which may be equipped with difierent types of coin testing device or devices.

The invention is in the nature of an attachment for a coin selector mechanism.

Since the gate is normally biased open, the rejector will automatically reject all coins when current is turned off from the machine and mechanism.

The rejector automatically returns bad coins to the operator, when the time cycle is up for the coin to pass through the rejector, due to the fact that the gate is biased open and the electromagnets will be de-energized at the end of the time cycle.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a perferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A coin selector mechanism comprising a relatively stationary plate, a pivoted gate arranged upon one side of the plate and movable to closed and opened positions with respect to the plate and having a track to be moved close to the plate when the gate is in the closed position, the plate. gate and track forming a coin chute when the gate is in the closed position, a spring to bias the gate to the open position so that the coin supported by the track will fall from the track, an electromagnet mounted upon the gate and tion, a spring to bias the gate to the open position so that the coin supported by the track will fall from the track, an electromagnet mounted upon the gate and having a pole extending through the opening the guide plate to be arranged close to the coin supported upon the track when the gate is in the closed position, said electromagnet serving to swing the pivoted gate to the closed position when energized and also serving when energized to hold a rejected magnetic coin fed up on the track and to release said rejected magnetic coin when de-energized, means to energize the electromagnet for a selected period and then de-energize the same, the coin being released when the electromagnet is de-energized and the gate simultaneously swung to the opened position by the spring.

3. A coin selector mechanism comprising a relatively stationary plate, a pivoted gate disposed upon one side of the plate and movable to closed and opened positions with respect to the plate and having a track to be moved close to the plate when the gate is in the closed position, the

, relatively stationary plate, gate and track formwhen energized serving to move the gate to the closed position and also serving when energized to hold a rejected magnetic coin fed upoh'the track and to release said rejected magnetic coin when de-energized, a circuit connected with the electromagnet, time-controlled means to open and close the circuit, and coin operated means to actuate the time-controlled means.

2. A coin selector mechanism comprising a relatively stationary plate, a guide plate disposed near and upon one side of the stationary plate and having a notch and an opening formed therein, a pivoted gate disposed upon the same side of the plate with the guide plate and movable to closed and opened positions with respect to the plate and having a track extending into the notch and to be moved close to the plate when the gate is in the closed position, the relatively stationary plate, gate and track forming a coin chute when the gate is in the closed posiing a coin chute when the gate is in the closed position, a spring to bias the gate to the open position so that the coin supported by the track will fall from the track, magnetic means including a pair of oppositely arranged electromagnets. one electromagnet being mounted upon the gate and the other electromagnet being mounted upon the plate, the electromagnets being arranged near the track, said electromagnets when energized serving to swing the pivoted gate to the closed position and also serving when energized to hold a rejected magnetic coin upon the track and to release said rejected magnetic coin when de-energized, means to energize the electromagnets for a selected period and then de-energize the same, the rejected magnetic coin being released when the electromagnet is de-energized and the gate simultaneously swing to the open position by the spring.

RUSSELL J. DONOHUE.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 13, 1936 Number 

